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This is the Most Joyful Workout in San Francisco

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Welcome to Racked's Fitness Week: five days of workout coverage, so that you can start your New Year's resolutions off right.

Photos via Rhythm and Motion

If you're not an experienced dancer, when you first enter the ODC Dance Commons light-filled studio space, you might feel a teensy bit intimidated. The space is so lovely, and you'll notice stunning professional dancers coming and going. Gorgeous pictures of them line the walls. Then, behind the front desk, you'll see smiling faces, and you'll start to feel at home.

If you're already a dancer, you'll feel at home from the get go.

If this is your first ODC class, good news: it's only 5 bucks. There are many, many styles of dance to choose from. If you're new to dance, or if you're there because you want an intense cardio workout, perhaps you've chosen Rhythm and Motion fusion taught by Dudley Flores. He's the master teacher trainer for this addictive dance workout class. Be warned that he has hundreds (thousands?) of admirers because he's one of the most generous and skilled instructors you'll encounter. (AND he happens to be the Racked SF Hottest Trainer of 2013.) So be prepared to get cozy with your fellow dancers. Don't worry, everyone will make room.

The official motto of Rhythm and Motion is: "Anyone can dance." Your classmates will be all shapes, sizes, colors and ages. Isn't that awesome? When class gets started, your instructor (they are all wonderful, we also highly recommend Amara Tabor-Smith, Wendy Rein and Ryan Smith) will ask if anyone is completely new to Rhythm and Motion. Don't be afraid to raise your hand. Because if you do, everyone will be extra friendly, which in this class means they will shake their booty at you more than normal (which is already a lot). Plus at the end, everyone will give you a round of applause which you'll appreciate because let's be honest, the class is addictive, but not exactly easy. The choreography can be challenging at times. But not so much so that you'll want to give up.

Rhythm and Motion has countless routines. Consuelo Faust founded the program in 1979 in San Francisco and instructors have been creating unique R&M choreography ever since. To keep things manageable, Dudley will teach the same series of songs starting on Sunday through the rest of any given week, so you'll have an opportunity to catch on.

Once you do, it will feel really amazing. You might even become rather euphoric and, weirdly, cry. It happens. It's a lot of joy to deal with.
· Rhythm and Motion [Official Site]
· ODC Dance Commons [Official Site]
· All Fitness Week Posts [Racked SF]